Review: Grace Cole Skin Care System

Guess what? I have been in search for a new skin care system, or at least a new, magnificent stand-alone product which could compete with my all-time favourite Clinique Three-Step Skin Care System. After more that two years of usage, it is time to say good-bye, as my skin has gotten used to it (insert a heart-breaking sob here). When it comes to skin care, I am rather picky, and that's why, for the next few months, I will most likely be testing and reviewing a ton of skin care products. Definitely follow my blog to get the latest updates on that.

Now, to the point. I recently bought a tea tree & witch hazel skin care system by Grace Cole, pictured below. It consists of three steps: a foaming facial was, a cleansing tonic and a softening moisturizer.

Facial Wash

Cleansing Tonic

Moisturizer

The packaging looked really nice and caught my attention but the biggest reason why I bought it (since i hadn't done any research) was actually my friends encouraging comments about the benefits of tea tree oil. "Anything that has some tea tree in it is amazing!" Okay, at least it had always worked for her. For the price tag of around only 15 euros for all three products, I was determined to try it.

When you open the packaging, the smell of these products might surprise you. I would suggest smelling them in the store before you buy, as the have a strong, refreshing scent not all people may like. Both the facial wash and the tonic are great products. They seemed rather gentle (which I like) and my skin felt instantly fresher. The moisturiser, though, was a complete shock to me. After I had washed of the tonic and waited a while, I applied it to my face. Three seconds later, I was desperate to get it off. While the facial wash and tonic had been gentle, this was a torture in a tin.

It hurt! It stung really badly, like no other skin care product had before. It could be that only my skin's reaction to that was overly dramatic on that particular day but I certainly will not be repeating the process to check. My skin is not very problematic as it is, and while the sting could have been a sign of the product working amazingly, I have no intention to move away from my lovely Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel. End of the story.

My verdict? The price is reasonable, and the packaging contains a lot of the product. However, I would steer clear of the moisturizer, or ask for a sample to try before purchasing, as it is quite impossible to predict your skin's reaction to it. For the days when my skin will be wanting something refreshing, these will be the products for me. The search for The Product still continues.

Have you tried this skin care system? What are your thoughts on it? If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments below!

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